Christmas Miracles

From 12/14/15


To All I Love,

We can get a little crazy, huh?

My heart is filled with so much love for my Father in Heaven and Savior at this moment. Words can't express to you all that they have done for me and how grateful my heart is for what they have allowed me to witness so far on my mission. I just have to start with one of my favorite miracles and one that I have been on a journey with for about 10 months now. I couldn't ask for a greater Christmas Gift than this.

 

 

Christmas Presents for Kakata:

How long did you wait to be baptized? Well besides being 8 years old. Did you have to wait like 2 weeks till your baptism day?? Try 3 months, maybe even 10 Months. What if you were told a year and a half??

 

My "class" - we all came out together

The only thing we wanted to occur was for our investigators to be baptized. It has now been 10 months since I first started working with the Kakata Branch. Week after week, month after month we were told the missionaries would be back shortly, and it never happened. Until Last Sunday, Dec. 6th, when President Harmon said the Missionaries will be back tomorrow. I have never cried tears of joy so much when I heard those words come out of his mouth. This past Wednesday we called him to give him an update on the work and he said the missionaries came on Monday at 2 pm!! You will NEVER understand how much that meant. How much joy that brought me. Hearing now that these people who so desperately want to get baptized now can be baptized. He said we have 4 Elders, 2 from America, 1 from Nigeria and 1 from Ghana. It just made me so excited to hear that they are back, that the work will really be hastened. I asked President Harmon if they knew when the baptism would be and he said, "Well, I talked with the Elders and we are going to have it on the 26th of this month." Hearing that brought so much excitement and joy. Knowing that for Christmas they will know that the following day they will be baptized and then confirmed on Sunday. The last Saturday of the year is when they will get to be baptized. Could you ask for a better Christmas Present??

 

 



Just because we can....

We talked to President Harmon again yesterday and asked him if we

Picture time...again....

were still good for the 26th and he said, "Yes. We are talking to all the investigators. The Elders are working very hard meeting with everyone as frequently as they can. They went to the investigator class yesterday and we will have the baptism on the 26th." We have had several investigators, who just 2 months ago, due to various things, wouldn't be able to be baptized. However, yesterday I talked to him and he said, "Siannes will be baptized. Gaiduwo will be baptized. Anthony will be baptized. Wenneta will be baptized. Jay Edward will be baptized." Hopefully Jimmy can be baptized as well. I'm praying sincerely and fervently for them in every prayer I give that they will each pull through. President Harmon said that about 45 people will be baptized, but they are going through to verify that they can each be baptized. What those 45 people include are the primary aged children, the teenagers, those who have parents who are members, and then the adult investigators. He doesn't know for sure if it will be 45 but it will be around there. About 10 Sisters are teaching people in Liberia and there were 2 Branches in Liberia that have been waiting for missionaries to come back and BOTH branches have missionaries and they BOTH are planning on having the baptisms on the 26th. I haven't had contact with the other Branch but I have heard they have about 80 awaiting baptism as well and the sisters are working hard to teach them as well. 

My "class"

Could you ask for a better Christmas present??? They are each so excited to be baptized. Who couldn't ask for a better Christmas Present than being baptized and confirmed a member of the church and being able to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost for Christmas!! It is moments like this that fill my heart with an exceeding amount of joy. I'm thrilled for them!

 

When I talked with President Harmon he said he will talk to the elders about Skype and figure out how that works and if there is a way for us to be able to Skype the baptism on the 26th. It will be a long stretch and it will be okay if it doesn't happen because that isn't the point. President Harmon was like, "Sister Skaggs. Is it okay, too, if we took a group picture and sent it to you as well?" I was like, "That isn't a problem at all." Having the missionaries back is the best present and to be able to see how excited they each are when we call them will just bring huge smiles to our faces.

 

Allowing the Atonement to Change You:

 

We just LOVE
getting mail!!

Over the course of our life time we can't stay complacent but must be willing to change. Sometimes it can be hard to make that change and it is hard to let go of that pride in our life. That is why we must allow the Atonement to work within ourselves. A Sister today said, "You must learn the Atonement, understand the Atonement and find yourself in the Atonement." That is the key to change and then seeking and earnestly pleading with the Lord for that help and strength to be able to use the Atonement to change you. One of the things that I have learned on my mission is how we truly can do all things as we one, rely on the Lord and two, are patient with his timing. When we trust in the Lord he will take a weakness, an imperfection, and give us the strength to clear it from being a blemish to something that causes us to do good, molds it into a strength. Throughout the mission the Lord has shown to me many imperfections. I have learned that when we rely on him and seek to do his will, through fervent prayer and application on our part, he will do his part. It takes TIME, and that is something we must remember. A key weakness that I have sought to change my entire mission, has literally taken up until this transfer, to see the progress and to see the results. To ultimately see how the Lord will do his part. It reminds me of the scripture "I the lord am bound when ye do what I say, But when ye do not what I say ye have no promise."

A New Transfer:

Mail time!!!

Mail!!!! (not MALE) ;)

The Gospel is true. I'm grateful for these 7 weeks I have left in my mission to serve with all my heart, might, mind and strength. Due to Christmas next week this transfer was only a 5 week transfer. Which means I'm now in my last transfer! Can you believe that. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be here and to be able to serve my Father in Heaven with everything that I have. For this last transfer my new companion will be coming from Italy! She is going into her 5th transfer, Sister Taglivia. And for the 4th transfer now I will be a District Leader! To be honest, I'm so grateful to be able to stay a District Leader. I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm grateful to be a District Leader and to have this opportunity to serve the sisters within the District. I have grown to love each of them. Being able to help them grow into the missionaries and daughters of God that their Heavenly Father sees fit for each of them to become brings so much joy.

 

 

Picture time AND mail
time!!

With this new transfer things are changing. My NEW PDAY will be on FRIDAY. So, I will be emailing again this week on Friday. And I will be in Guest Services this transfer. Guess what is so crazy....my entire District is from America!!! Except my companion! Sister Brooks from Temecula, Sister Fraiser from Hemet, Sister Butler - North Carolina, Sister Chamberlin from Mission Viejo and then a Senior Couple - Elder and Sister Richardson from Arizona!! We are now the Socal District!! Quite literally!! Well, I love you all and am excited to give it my all this transfer in the remaining 7 weeks I have left to serve my Father in Heaven and his children.

 

 

 

Love Always!

Sister Skaggs

P.S. We will need to start figuring out a time for Skyping on Christmas.

 

 

 

Busy working....??

 



LOVE that camera!!